Trash = Art

When Ella Reese was little, like maybe around 20 months, I did not have really any "craft" supplies for her.  So I started just looking around my house.  And what is around my house? A trash can full of possibilities.
I started digging in my recycle bin and made tons of little art projects with her.
My very first one I did with her ( which I still have to this day) was a little Aquarium we made.

Supplies
- Any cardboard box.  Works best if it is a rectangle shape.  Like a Penne Pasta box or oatmeal box.  A cereal box may not stand on it's own.
- Washable paint or markers in blue.
- Felt or construction paper.  I LOVE felt.  You can do so much with it.  At Walmart you can get a 8x10 size of different colors for 99 cents each.
- Scissors
- Paintbrush
- Clear tape
- Elmer's glue

Take your box and with your finger, pull the seams apart.  So you have a flat irregular piece of cardboard.  Rebuild it, but this time so the inside is now the outside.  You will now see a cardboard surface.  Tape the ends and sides so you have a box again.  Test to see which end the box stands best on.  Decide which side will be the bottom, top and sides of the Aquarium.
Place the blue paint or markers out to make the " water" in your aquarium.  Paint all the sides and tops.
Cut out some fish and sea animals out of the felt.  Help your child glue the animals on the box and talk about the different animals.  This is also a great time to talk about creation and all God made in the ocean.
All done!  Now you have a mini aquarium to display.  And there are no fish to feed here!